AS LOW AS A SNAKE’S BELLY…

…Yep, that’s how low I had to get when I went out and about for a couple of days last week looking to photograph some Moss, Lichen and, as it turned out, some rather special Fungus.



I’m still not up to speed on the many different types of moss but I think this is Broom Fork-moss (Dicranum scoparium). It caught my eye as the sun was sparkling through the water droplets left over from the early morning frost although, I must confess, I didn’t make the best job of portraying that in the photograph.

Many species of moss are ‘fruiting’ at this time of year where they throw up long stalks (seta) topped by strikingly colourful seed capsules (sporangium).




Strict Haircap (Polytrichum strictum)


Capillary Thread-moss (Bryum capillare). The seed capsules of this common moss will turn a dark red colour as they ripen.

Next up (or should I say down!) are these three different looking Lichens, or to be more accurate Lichenised fungi. If you want to give your brain a bit of a work out and learn more about what Lichenised fungi are..have a look here




Cladonia pyxidata  with cup shaped fruiting bodies.




Cladonia floerkeana with red tipped spore producing bodies.


Cladonia uncialis with antler like branched fruiting bodies.

These three commonly seen lichens all favour heath and moorland habitats.


And now for that something rather special…..


While crawling about (yes, really!) looking for moss and lichen I encountered quite a lot of pony/horse poo, they use ponies for habitat management in this area during the winter, and on one particular ‘pile’ something small and unusual caught my eye….


…I instantly recognised it as Nail Fungus (Poronia punstata) a small quite rare and declining fungi that only grows on the dung of horses and ponies. This aptly named fungus that, when young, closely resembles a small rusty brown nail will grow to around 80mm tall with a cap diameter of 15mm.
As you can imagine I was rather pleased to find this little gem and so far it’s got to be the highlight of my nature watching year. (yeh, I know I’m a bit sad!)

So, the next time you’re out and about and you come across some old piles of horse poo give it a closer look…you never know what you might find?


Also growing through some horse dung I found these Yellow Webcap (Cortinarius delibutus). This widespread but uncommon fungi is associated with mixed woodland and grows to around 100mm tall with a cap dia of 80mm.


This is all that’s left of one of last years Meadow Puffball (Lycoperdon pratense)..a fragile, hollow paper like shell.


Did I mention a snake’s belly? Well….


…less than ten feet from where I’d earlier been laying prone on the ground taking photos of the Nail Fungus I came across three of these…



Adder (Vipera berus) basking in the mid morning sunshine. Not easy to get a clear photograph though as they were partly concealed by the heather and bracken.



Spring is slowly arriving and nature is starting to ‘wake up’ after it’s winter slumbers and hopefully there’ll be many more photo opportunities over the next few weeks….take care and have a good one.

A FEW FUNGI

Over the past few weeks I’ve spent several days out and about looking to see what fungi I could find. It’s probably a bit early yet but I did manage to find a few. However, for the most part, they had already been ‘found’ and nibbled by the slugs and squirrels, so not many pristine examples.
I also noticed, on more than one occasion, that where fungi have appeared close to footpaths they had been kicked over and destroyed. I fail to see what pleasure, when they’ve obviously come out to walk in and enjoy the countryside, people derive from doing this sort of thing and destroying what they’ve come out to see?

Something else that I noticed was how dry the ground is at the moment, especially in the woods, normally when I’m out photographing fungi I usually get wet and muddy knees and elbows…all they’re getting at the moment is dusty. Out of interest I dug down into the leaf litter and it was about 10 to 15cm down before it started to get really damp, and that’s before the imminent new fall of leaves.

The Fungi…..


Amethyst Deceiver (Laccaria amethystina)  The colour of this common fungi is more noticeable in young specimens as it quickly fades to a light tan colour. Grows to about 10cm tall, usually in small groups in deciduous woodland. It’s also quite common for the cap to be misshapen. Edible, but not a culinary delight.


Club Foot (Ampulloclitocybe clavipes)  A flat topped fungus with a distinctive club shaped stem. Grows to around 7cm tall with a brown cap of about 8cm across in deciduous and mixed woodland. Edible, but can cause a very severe reaction if consumed with alcohol.


False Deathcap (Amanita citrina)  This common fungus grows in deciduous and mixed woodland. 8cm tall with a 10cm diameter cap. It has a strong smell of raw potatoes and is mildly poisonous.


Honey Waxcap (Hygrocybe reidii)  This small red to orange/red fungi is commonly found in pasture and grassland. Reaching a height of 5cm the 5cm diameter cap flattens out with age and sometimes cracks appear around the edges. As it’s name would suggest it smells strongly of honey and is edible, but of poor quality.


Sulphur Tuft (Hypholoma fasciculare)  This very common yellow/orange fungus is most notable for forming dense and spectacular clumps on dead and decaying wood of both deciduous and coniferous trees.


Beechwood Sickener (Russula nobilis)  This poisonous brittlegill is the deciduous woodland relative of the Sickener (Russula emetica) that is found in pinewoods. Mostly bright red in colour ( all white specimens have been noted) with a white stem. Grows to around 5cm tall with a cap diameter of 7cm. It has a faint smell of coconut.


Grey Spotted Amanita (Amanita excelsa)  Grows in deciduous and mixed woodland. The grey/brown cap with patches of grey spots grows to around 10cm in diameter and flattens out with age. The stem is white to grey in colour and 12cm tall.


Blackening Waxcap (Hygrocybe conica)  One of the most common waxcaps, seen in various colours from yellow through orange to red however, the irregular shaped cap discolours to black and becomes dry and cracked with age. Can be found in grassland and reaches a height to around 10cm.


Bitter Bolete (Tylopilus felleus)  This large greyish brown fungus is found in deciduous woodland and occasionally with conifers. It has a stout club shaped stem growing to around 10cm long, yellowish in colour and covered with a coarse brown net. The cap. up to 12cm in diameter, matures to a flat shape with a dark brown coarse/cracked texture. As the name suggests it has a very bitter taste.


Unknown (help needed)  This one I found in mixed woodland but so far it has eluded any of my attempts at an ID. so, if anyone has any ideas?……


Notes/ Disclaimer…Although I have given indications of taste and edibility of some of the above fungi I would strongly advise that, unless you’re 100% sure of what you’re doing, you DON’T attempt to taste/eat any fungi/mushrooms that you may find.  Just admire their beauty, they look much better growing in the wild than they do sizzling in a frying pan!

MINI FUNGI WITH SOME JELLY AND A LITTLE SLIME

Whilst sorting through and processing some fungi images that I took towards the end of last month it became apparent that a few of them were of some rather small and delicate specimens, not only of regular shaped fungi but also of some jelly discs and a couple of slime moulds….


coprinopsis radiata.


As far as I can tell this fungi doesn’t appear to have an English name. It’s a short lived, just over 24 hours, Inkcap that grows on the dung of herbivores (horses mainly), this one was growing in the leaf litter by the side of a bridleway. It grows to about 7cm – 3” tall and the cap to about 2.5cm – 1” dia.

Common Rustgill  (gymnopilus penetrans)


As the name suggests this is the most common of the Rustgills. This is a very young specimen at about 4cm – 1 1/2” tall. They are mostly associated with conifer trees and can grow up to 7cm – 2 3/4” tall with a cap dia. of 8cm – 3” either solitary or in dense clusters.

Shaggy Scalycap  (pholiota squarrosa)


Mostly found in spectacular clusters at the base of broadleaved trees these fungi can grow up to 15cm – 6” tall with a cap dia. of 11cm – 41/2”. This small group was about 8cm – 3” tall.

Snapping Bonnet  (mycena vitilis)


This member of the bonnet family has a stem that when broken ‘snaps’ audibly, hence the name. It grows to about  11cm – 41/2” tall with a cap dia. of 2cm – 3/4”. It is widespread and common in deciduous woodland.

Clustered Bonnet  (mycena inclinata)


This bonnet is usually found in large in large clusters on the dead wood of deciduous trees and grows to around 10cm – 4” tall with a cap dia. of up to 4cm –11/2”. These particular ones are being attacked by the bonnet mould  spinellus fusiger, a type of pin mould, characterised by it’s pin like appearance.

Common Bonnet  (mycena galericulata)


Again, as the name suggests, a commonly seen fungi growing either solitary or in clusters on decayed wood of deciduous trees. Grows to 10cm – 4” tall with a cap of 6cm – 2 1/2” dia.

Not sure on this one…


…possibly the Funnel fungi clitocybe costata which grows in mixed woodland. This one was around 5cm – 2” tall with a similar sized cap.

With this next one I’ve failed on two counts…


…Firstly, I’ve no idea what it is and secondly, I failed to take note of what type of tree it’s growing on. It was growing on a branch that was about 1mtr – 3ft above the ground and is about 5cm – 2” tall.

Black Bulgar  (bulgaria inquinans)





A flat, rubbery textured, round button shaped fungi hence it’s more common name – Bachelor’s Buttons. Starting out as a small round cup that gradually flattens and splits as it matures. It is gregarious and grows to around 4cm – 11/2” in dia. on dead deciduous wood, typically on fallen Oak and Beech. Those above are around 1cm – 1/2” and 2.5cm – 1” in dia. respectively.

Now for some Jelly….

Beech Jellydisc  (neobulgaria pura)


A Common pink jelly fungus that is usually found in swarms, as the name suggests, on Beech trees. It starts off globular then becomes cushion shaped with a flat or concave upper surface and has a slightly raised edge. It’s usually distorted as a result of many fruiting bodies growing closely together. The ones seen here were about 2cm – 3/4” in dia.

Purple Jellydisc  (ascocoryne sarcoides)
 

Similar to the Beech Jellydisc above and found in the same locations. It has a dark purple colour and grows to around 1cm – 1/2” dia. but is usually distorted into a brain like appearance. The ones depicted above are very young and are still in the globular stage. You can get some sense of scale by comparing them to the moss which is also in the image.

Time to add some Slime….

Slime moulds, once thought of as fungi, are now recognised as Protozoa. They start off life as single-celled amoeboid organisms that are free living and feeding on bacteria and fungi. When feeding conditions are good and they find suitable mating partners they coalesce into a – plasmodium - stage and it is this, often brightly coloured stage, that we see in the autumn coating vegetation and fallen wood. Also at this stage the mass is able to move, albeit very slowly. As the food supply begins to run out the spore producing stage – sporangium – appears.

This diagram, taken from the internet, shows the life cycle of a slime mould.


Wolf’s Milk  (lycogala terrestre)
 
In it’s plasmodium stage, the pink colour will fade to a grey colour as it ages. These puffball like spheres are around 2.5cm – 1” in dia.

This next slime mould which I think is hemitrichia clavata is in the sporangium stage.


The little orange spheres which are about 2.5cm – 1” tall will eventually harden off and split open releasing thousands of tiny spores.

WET KNEES, DIRTY ELBOWS AND A CRICK IN THE NECK

Yes, it's fungi time again!     I always look forward to this time of year when I can get out into the woods in search of these colourful curiosities.

Let me set the scene.....Landscape photographers do it with wide angle lenses and tripods whilst standing and staring, misty eyed, into infinity....Bird photographers do it with mega long lenses whilst sat in a warm and comfortable hide(?)....Fungi photographers do it with macro lenses, bean bags, flash guns, cable releases and reflectors whilst crawling around on all fours, in the darkest and wettest corners of the woods, their arse in the air and their nose almost buried in the smelly, dirty and rotting leaf litter!

Here is a selection of images taken on a couple of recent visits I made to my local woods.

Yellow Stagshorn  (calocera cornea)   Grows in clusters up to 8cm (3in) tall on dead conifer wood.

Shaggy Parasol  (macrolepiota mastoiea)   Can be seen growing in woodlands, parks and gardens. The cap can grow up to 18cm (7in) in diameter.

Verdigris Agaric  (stropharia aeruginosa)   These start off with a blue-green coloured convex and slimy cap that, with age, flattens out to around 8cm (3in) in diameter and develops the yellowish patches as shown here.  Grows to around 10cm (4in) tall and can be found in wooded areas, parklands and gardens. In one of my reference books under the heading that says if its edible or not ....it says...poisonous (probably)...are there any volunteers out there willing to clarify the situation?

Common Funnel  (clitocybe gibba)  With a cap diameter and a height of around 8cm (3in) this, as the name suggests, is one of the most commonly found funnels, in deciduous woodland and grassy areas.

Lilac Bonnet  (mycena pura)  This fungi is very variable in size and colour and this is possibly the pink form (mycena rosea) it crows to about 8cm (3in) tall with a cap measuring 5cm (2in) diameter. Grows in mixed woodland but is mostly associated with Beech.

Rooting Shank  (xerula radicata)  This 20cm (8in) tall early fruiting Shank is very deep rooted and has a cap diameter of 10cm (4in) It grows on buried wood.

Rufous Milkcap  (lactarius rufus)  this is one of the large family of Milkcaps that derive their name from the way that their cap and gills exude a milky looking (the colour varies between species)  type of latex when damaged.  8cm (3in) tall with a cap diameter of 10cm (4in) this particular Milkcap is closely associated with acid conifer woods. 

Burgundydrop Bonnet  (mycena haematopus)  When damaged or broken this Bonnet releases a red coloured liquid, hence the name. It grows to around 7cm (3in) high with a 4cm (1 1/2in) diameter cap that starts off conical and then develops into a flatter bell shape. Grows on decayed deciduous wood.

Sticky Scalycap  (pholiota gummosa)  15cm (6in) tall with a 10cm (4in) diameter flattened cap. Grows in clusters, this small cluster was part of a large ring, on decayed or buried wood of deciduous trees.

Chestnut Dapperling  (lepiota castanea)  A small Dapperling with a distinctive colour, The 5cm (2in) diameter cap starts off conical and gradually flattens out.  Grows to a height of around 5cm (2in) in deciduous woods. It is deadly poisonous causing liver and kidney damage if ingested.

Candlesnuff Fungus  (xylaria hypoxylon) This very common fungus can be found year round growing on the dead wood of broadleaved trees. It gets its name by the fact that its appearance resembles a burnt candle wick. The fruiting body grows up to 6cm (2 1/2in) high.

Common Puffball  (lycoperdon perlatum)  The distinctive apical pore, the dark coloured circular patch on the top, helps separate this from other similar puffballs. Grows to around 9cm (3 1/2in) tall and is very common in most woodland. The body is pear shaped with a thick, stumpy stalk; white when young (as here) and covered with conical spines that are slowly discarded as it turns brown with age.

Angel's Bonnet  (mycena arcangeliana)  This  greyish-yellow bonnet, that gives of a smell similar to that of iodine, grows to around 7cm (3in) tall with a cap, that starts off conical then becomes bell-shaped, of around 5cm (2in) diameter. It grows in clusters, sometimes large, on decaying deciduous wood, typically Beech or Ash.

** As we know mother nature often doesn't conform to the shape, colour and size that is prescribed to the things that we find around us, taking this into account the above ID's are accurate to the best of my ability, I'm a long way off from being an expert!  So, if anyone thinks that I may have got something wrong or has more accurate knowledge  please feel free,  your comments would be much appreciated...I won't be upset...honest!!